A simple act

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor CHERYL CRUZ Desk Editor PATRICK PANGILINAN Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund estimates that over a million Filipino school children are now healthier and protected from deadly diseases due to the simple act of hand washing. UNICEF Representative Tim Grieves says that more than a million children in the country benefitted and were saved from deadly and communicable diseases with the launching of the Global Handwashing Day five years ago.

Hand washing is a very simple act, but when done during five critical times, namely before eating, before handling of food, after using the toilet, after handling pets and after playtime; it can actually save lives. According to Grieves, more than 3.5 million children under five die every year worldwide due to diarrhea and pneumonia and in the Philippines, these are also among the top causes of death among children. Their studies have shown that the GH campaign reduced respiratory infection, malnutrition, diarrhea and other deadly diseases among public school children by 30 to 50 percent.

Although the Philippines started celebrating GH day five years ago, hand washing in public schools was institutionalized only with the signing of a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Education in 2010. Hopefully our public schools continue to inculcate this healthy habit among the school children. This can be done first, by making them aware of the advantages of hand washing during those five critical times and following up by ensuring that the schools themselves have enough faucets with running water and soap so that the habit can be actually be practiced and built. Hand washing is a cheap and easy way to improve the general health of school children, which means they will have more time for learning and their parents spend less on medicines and hospitalization.

The simple act of hand washing can protect our children from sickness and disease and even save their lives. Teaching and practicing it costs practically nothing and yet the benefits of good hygiene and good health are priceless. It would certainly do well for school administrators, heads of families, as well as office and service establishments, to foster an environment where the healthy habit of regular hand washing can be practiced.*